Live from Lebanon Valley-NHRA Lucas Oil Series

[BobOrme]

Originally Posted by Toby Lang

How come you don't post the eliminations from the early rounds at the divisionals?

I could understand why you didn't do it before at any races because you had to type them in by hand. Now with you being hooked up directly to the Compulink computer, I don't see any reason why you can't post all elimination rounds for every event.

-Toby

I'll expand a little on what Jim wrote. Not all tracks have Compulink timing systems, and even then, sometimes the Compulink systems and our data capture software are talking slightly different languages, and we still have to put all the numbers in by hand (that has happened to me twice - once in Bradenton several years ago, and at Ashcroft this year).

We are working on getting a usable data feed from other track timing systems. That process is still in a somewhat beta testing phase. We've had some success with Accutime and TSI systems, but every timing system is set up a little different at each track. The Compulink data feed can and usually does come right out of the timing system wiring punch block - that board under the counter with about 500 wires running in and out of it. The Accutime and TSI feeds that we've been trying to get to work utilize a tap into the timeslip printer feed. That involves figuring out which port is the timeslip printer feed (they aren't always marked on the track computer), what type of 9-pin Y-splitter you need (they aren't all the same gender), what the baud rate, parity, data bits, and stop bits the timeslip printer port is set at (they aren't all the same), and lastly, if we get all of that stuff figured out, hooked up and working, it is possible that our tap will draw enough power from the serial feed to the timeslip printers that they'll stop working. That's not a good thing!

A perfect world would have Compulink fiber optic timing systems installed at every drag strip. Those are plug and play for us. Entering the numbers by hand is done after each round is completed from the run logs. Not only is that tedious, we spend more of our time looking at run logs and our laptop screens than watching what is actually happening on the track. That takes some of the fun out of the job. It also limits our ability to provide extra info like incrementals.

[jwsamuel]

Originally Posted by BobOrme

it is possible that our tap will draw enough power from the serial feed to the timeslip printers that they'll stop working. That's not a good thing!

The same thing can also happen with Compulink systems. I have been at tracks at which as soon as I plugged into the system, the track's dial-in boards go dark. I unplug, and the boards come back on. So in that case, I have to unplug and enter data manually.

There is also one track with a Compulink system on the second floor of the tower, while I have had to work on the third floor. The track owner refused to let me work on the second floor and refused to let us run the cable to the third floor.

Jim